《To Know the Name We Lost (LitRPG/Fantasy)》 Death is not the End The night sky was dark and cloudy. What had once been a forest was now nothing more than a blasted wasteland with dead trees, still aglow with embers, littering the dead landscape. There was a horrible noise in the background, merged with the howling of the winds, and it shook the soul of everyone who heard it. It was like a deep gong, trapped eternally in its own echo. The moon appeared from behind the clouds for only a brief moment and with its silvery beams of light it illuminated the bone-white mask of an individual facing a black-haired man. The masked man held a slightly curved sword in his right hand and the moonlight refracted off it, casting dancing lights at his feet. The man with black hair was armed with a straight sword which was black in its entirety, as if composed of the very shadows that seemed to conceal the rest of the man¡¯s appearance. He was shrouded in an inky blackness to the point where only his form could be made out, and nothing else. The shadowy man launched himself forward, sword held high as he flew forward¡ªfeet not even touching the ground¡ªand then slashed downwards at the masked man. Sparks flew off their swords as they locked together. Their swords rattled in protest as the two warriors maneuvered, trying to force the other to the ground. A warm violet glow poured from the eye openings of the mask, briefly illuminating the black symbol in the center of the forehead; a circle rising over a chevron, surrounded by three broken and incomplete halos. The masked man scoffed disdainfully and struck the flat side of his sword with his palm, pushing the shadow-shrouded man back. That is good enough. Lightning ran through the masked man¡¯s sword, arcing into the ground as it charged up for the impending attack. The sword crackled with electricity, turning red from the heat. Then something strange happened.
Your [Radiant Sword] attack has become [Stardust Blade] due to [Lightning Element] mastery.
The sword in the masked man¡¯s hand burst into blue fire that progressively turned blacker with each moment. When it was completely black, vaporous, brilliant flames surrounded the black core and they flowed like a viscous liquid over the blackness. It was bright, as if looking at a liquid fragment of lightning itself. It exerted a terrible hum and vaporized everything around it. The smell of ozone filled the air.
Your [Stardust Blade] vaporized the enemy¡¯s chest, right arm and left leg! Critical hit!
The blade zoomed through the air carving right through the shadowy man¡¯s form as if the flesh and bones were made out of paper. Black blood sprayed on the ground and instantly evaporated. Before both halves of the man could hit the ground, they turned into a silvery mist and flowed into the masked man.
You have gained essence. You have gained internal energy. You have gained access to theperk [Plasma Element]. You have gained access to theperk [Lightning Mastery]. You have learned the maneuver [Starfire Slash]. You have learned the attack [Stardust Blade].
The blade in the masked man¡¯s hands crackled and then collapsed. For a moment, it crackled with electricity as if it was still the [Radiant Sword], but then all the metal melted off the hilt of the sword and poured onto the ground in a mass of liquified metal. The masked man stared at the remains of his sword. This was a surprising turn of events. His [Radiant Sword] becoming another attack never happened before. Maybe this is my chance. If I can just make it in time, I can finally break out of this hell. With renewed vigor, he opened his palm flat to the ground and focused.
Conceptualize: Return
A horrifyingly deep sound rang through the earth, as if a piece of the world¡¯s soul just died in that moment. The molten pile of slag on the floor suddenly reversed, as if tracing its steps back through time, and formed into a red hot sword which quickly turned back to its original silvery color. The masked man snatched the sword out of the air as it hovered there and then leapt forwards. His jump defied gravity, he stayed close to the ground to avoid the archer fire, but he never took a parabolic arc¡ªhe just kept flying straight forward for several dozens of meters before his feet finally touched the ground, and then he jumped again. All around him he could see soldiers in silver armor¡ªhis allies¡ªfight grotesque monstrosities as well as humanoid enemies. The masked man had seen this scene dozens of times now. The left flank always breaks and the enemy overwhelms the center. It was unavoidable. Whenever he went to the left flank, these strange shadow-like creatures would appear out of nowhere and¡ª
You have taken extreme damage to your chest. Your heart has been destroyed. You are stunned. You are poisoned. You are bleeding.
The masked man looked down at his chest and saw the tip of a sword poking out from his form. Slowly, the masked man fell to his knees.
You have died.
He opened his eyes. They were blue ice, surrounded by a deep red outer rim. He sat up from his prone position and ran a hand through his messy, black hair. ¡°Again?¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°They got you too, Ae? Sneaky bastards,¡± a girl with red hair said. Ae nodded, casting a glance about the chamber. They were not alone. There were another seven people here, and they all wore tired and disappointed expressions. Ae recognized only six of the faces¡ªthe last one he never saw before. They all sat in a circle around what appeared to be a ball of blue light the size of a person. The entire room was bathed in a dim blue glow due to the ball of energy at the center.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°How much essence you got?¡± she asked. Her name was Fara. Show Essence.
Essence: 2495
¡°Not much. I rushed the left flank¡­¡± Ae trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s impenetrable. I have no idea how many Shadows there are, or where they are until it is too late.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nine of them,¡± a person said. He had brown eyes and short, blond hair. ¡°How do you know?¡± Fara asked. ¡°There¡¯s a perk in my [Extinction] Aspect called [Eyes of the Void], it warns me whenever there is someone hidden and about to attack someone. Tells me the general location, too,¡± he said. Show Aspects.
Annihilation
Ae sighed. Thatperk would be useful, but he didn¡¯t have the Extinction Aspect. ¡°If you know where they are, and when they are about to attack, how come you die then, Mao?¡± Fara asked. Mao shrugged, ¡°There''s a Tyrant waiting for me at the end of the canyon. It is extremely powerful.¡± Fara slowly nodded. Suddenly, the blue ball of light came to life with a brilliant glow and hovered higher into the air. ¡°Your latest excursion into the Rift was a disappointment. You need to try harder than that and you need to stop complaining about the hardships. You chose this,¡± the ball spoke in a voice that was not heard, but felt inside the soul of each individual. They were not words in a language either, merely the understanding of each word¡¯s meaning. ¡°When you touched the black flames and accepted me as your Liege, you knew this was your destiny and accepted it as well.¡± Some of those assembled in the round chamber lowered theirheads at those words. The words stung Ae as well. He had been obsessed with freeing himself from the pain of death to the point of not even thinking how these other individuals might feel. Were they just as desperate as he was? There was some comfort in that thought, as well as disappointment in his own lack of integrity. ¡°You knew this journey would be difficult and that you would meet your boundaries, and you swore on your soul that you would exceed them. You swore that you would persevere and push through. Now look at you. After forty eight deaths, your spirit is broken.¡± Silence fell on the chamber and it lasted for several seconds. ¡°Go now. Rest, meditate, learn new tools¡ªperfect yourselves. Tomorrow, you are heading out again.¡± A jolt of pain ran through Ae¡¯s body at the mention that they are going to go out into that blasted battlefield again tomorrow. With a sigh, Ae stood up and headed out of the chamber. Several people followed behind him, but they all each went their own direction once they got through the hallways that lead to the room of their revival. In truth, Ae was not even sure if they did revive or not. He could turn back time for objects, therefore the possibility exists that they too merely relive the two fateful days. It seemed rather unlikely however. Ae thought about the day when the sky shattered and the stars fell from the emptiness. They crashed into the ground and from them sprung a black fire that could not be extinguished and it unmade everything it touched. He ran for so long from what the people called the Flames of the Reckoning. He crossed oceans to escape it, but the flames followed. It was just a matter of time before they would reach him too, and when they did, he was in that chamber and he was made an offer: Submit to Asivos or be annihilated. It was an easy choice at the time, but in hindsight, the latter option was the right decision. Before he knew it, Ae was in his own chamber. It had no windows except for the circular opening in the top, covered by glass, through which moonlight and starlight filtered through and fell in thick shafts upon a pool in the middle of the room. Ae sat at the edge of the pool and closed his eyes. Show perks.
Category Name Mastery
Annihilation Conceptualize Silver (28%)
Annihilation Lightning Element Gold (4%)
Annihilation Enlightened Sword Platinum (77%)
Ae thought about hisperks for a moment. They were merely windows into obtaining new skills which improved through usage, while theperks themselves improved by channeling the internal energy he gained from battle as well as usage. Show skills related to [Lightning Element].
Lightning Element Skills
Name Effect Skill Level
Lightning Creation Create Lightning energy by transmuting spiritual energy into Lightning energy through your connection to the Plane of Lightning. Silver (89/120)
Lightning Destruction Improve the accuracy and damage of Lightning attacks. Gold (44/160)
Lightning Manifestation Manifest Lightning attributes in your physical attacks. Gold (21/160)
Lightning Channeling Channel Lightning energy into pure attribute attacks. Silver (81/120)
Lightning Formation Create objects with an Origin related to Lightning. Bronze (0/80)
Lightning Annihilation Improve the critical chance of Lightning attacks and their critical damage. Bronze (0/80)
Those last two are new. It seems every time myperks upgrade, I unlock new skills. The two skills he used the most were [Lightning Destruction] and [Lightning Manifestation]. Combined with his [Enlightened Sword], they allowed him to mix Lightning energy into his devastating melee attacks. [Lightning Channeling] was useful for when he was not within range to attack with his sword, but could reach an enemy by shooting lightning from his fingertips at them. He ignored the two new skills for now. He had more pressing business to attend to. Tomorrow, he was going to fight again, and he had to be prepared. Show allperks related to Annihilation.
Category Name Cost
Annihilation Lightning Mastery 22,000
Annihilation Plasma Element 30,000
Annihilation Paradox Blade (Principle) 85,000
Annihilation Sword of the Emperor (Principle) 110,000
They all cost internal energy to obtain and he knew he didn''t have enough for [Sword of the Emperor] or [Paradox Blade]. Neither did he understand whatPrinciples were. He asked Asivos once and was told that they would affect his Origin, whatever that means. Internal energy.
Internal Energy: 65,850
Ae sighed. He knew that those two True perks would be beneficial to him, but they were still out of his reach. The battle tomorrow would fare no better unless he found a way to improve quickly. There was only one choice left to him. He slowly began circulating his inner energy through the pathways of his Aspect, embedded deep into his Origin.
You have obtained the perk [Lightning Mastery]. You have obtained the perk [Plasma Element].
The Ancient Battlefield 1 When dawn finally came, Ae stepped out of his chamber and wandered the long hallways of the central Citadel until he found his way out onto the courtyard. The next battle would begin in the afternoon and he still had time to prepare mentally. He took a seat at one of the marble benches and leaned back. The silver sky overhead was not an ordinary sky like one would find on Creation. It seemed more artificial than real, as if it was a ceiling surrounding the entire world, even though looking at it would not show any real clues to the truth of that statement. It simply felt wrong. Ae was relatively new to this place. It looked as if though it had existed for a very long time. Ancient, towering spires pierced the heavens like swords. In each one of those spires lived countless people who didn¡¯t act like people. They walked around aimlessly, wandering and patrolling the streets. If Ae tried to talk to them, they would just ignore him unless Ae wore his mask. He did not understand such behavior, and even when he did wear his mask, they only responded to questions about the upcoming battle. They were seemingly unaware of the artificial sky, and the artificial world they were in. The only entity Ae could talk to regarding his current state was his Liege, Asivos, and those conversations were cryptic and often painful. His comrades were facing the same problem. They all joined at the same time and they shared any and all information, but still, it was not enough to understand some of the concepts regarding their new existence. They understood that they were all immortal and that their only purpose was to fight in the Rifts, whatever those are, to retrieve Essence. Essence was a currency in this world but it held a much greater importance than that. Essence could expand this world and fashion new facilities out of thin air. Ae looked towards one of the buildings in the distance. It was a training complex that they created out of Essence. They chose to make it because it promised them the ability to create their own attacks and gain a deeper understanding of some of the concepts they are dealing with. What they did not know at the time was that they also had to create trainers, and they were expensive. Therefore, their current objective was to acquire as much Essence as they could to create the trainers. Other than the training facilities, they also wanted the armories, vaults, alchemy shops, and a myriad other things. They all held the promise of enabling the group to finally conquer the rift and potentially become free of this painful existence. Ae wasn¡¯t really sure who was the first one to suggest that is a possibility. The idea was that once they did whatever it was that Asivos wanted them to do, that they would cease to exist. It was a recent thought. It was just desperation but it held the allure of an oasis in a desert. In the beginning, they were all excited about their new powers and death, although painful, was a manageable¡­ setback. But as time went on and it became clear that death was the only possible outcome for them, every day, it started to gnaw at their minds. Some, like Ae, experienced mostly ¡°pleasant¡± deaths; stabbed, slashed, crushed. Others though had worse experiences; burned, frozen, obliterated, impaled, asphyxiated¡­ the list went on and on. Before he knew it, the sun was high in the sky and a deep bell rang throughout the spires of the Citadel. It was their summons.
Your presence is required at the Stellar Gate.
This is it.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With a sigh, Ae stood up and made his way through the courtyard, back to the main building. On his way there, he noticed Fara far ahead of him. He was about to call out to her, when another girl joined him from an adjacent corridor. ¡°Ae, have you learned anything new from the recent battle?¡± she asked. She had black hair and blue eyes. Her thin lips were pressed together in a grim expression. Ae nodded, ¡°Yes. I learned [Plasma Element] and [Lightning Mastery]. What about you, Zia?¡± Zia smiled, ¡°I did. I think we can turn the tides this time.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ae asked. ¡°I learned one of the perks with the Principle tags,¡± she said. ¡°You know the ones?¡± Ae blinked. ¡°Yeah, are they good?¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Zia said with a big smile. ¡°It is called [Flawless Form]. You know how perks have a category that is your Aspect?¡± Ae nodded. ¡°Well, it turns out that you get perks from Principles too, and they are all really strong. At least mine are,¡± Zia explained. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve saved up my internal energy,¡± Ae lamented. Zia nodded confidently, ¡°You should have. I think if we all get our Principles, the Rift will stand no chance against us.¡± Ae laughed merrily. He actually believed those words. Zia spoke with a confidence that easily convinced Ae. Zia glanced to Ae. ¡°Your Aspect is Annihilation, right? What are your Principles?¡± Ae paused for a moment, trying to recall the information. ¡°[Paradox Blade] and [Sword of the Emperor].¡± Zia pursed her lips, ¡°That sounds impressive. What do they do?¡± Ae shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t purchased them yet.¡± ¡°Oh, you can learn what they do if you think about learning some information about the Principle,¡± Zia said. ¡°Huh, let me try that, then,¡± Ae said. Show information on Principle [Paradox Blade].
A blade infused by an AwakenedOrigin seeks its own death and destruction. Sever the Pattern to defy causality, and strike before the motion.
Show information on Principle [Sword of the Emperor].
The sword that conquers all beneath the Heavens.
Ae thought about the lack of information on the [Sword of the Emperor] Principle. ¡°It is not very descriptive,¡± Ae said. Zia nodded. ¡°I suppose that is true. But you¡¯ll find out soon enough how effective they can be,¡± she said. ¡°What about your Origin though? Asivos told me that if you learn Principles, it will affect your Origin.¡± Zia shrugged, ¡°Nothing changed, as far as I can tell.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Finally, as their conversation winded down, they reached the Stellar Gate. It was a large chamber in the center of which was a pool of glowing, silver liquid. The liquid spiraled upwards and two of such tendrils formed an arch, like a gateway. One could not see what was on the other side of the portal, but they all knew what waited there. It was the [Ancient Battlefield]. The desolate place that claimed their lives dozens of times now. Around the pool stood all eight of them, some of them already wearing their masks. ¡°What is the plan this time?¡± Mao asked. He wore his mask and his symbol was a circle struck through with three diagonal lines. ¡°Same as before, I think,¡± Fara replied. ¡°Ae and I will hold down the center and work our way towards Desolation Hill, to ambush the Subjugator.¡± ¡°Since Mao can sense the Shadows, we should form a squad to hunt them down and keep them off your backs,¡± a masked man said. His symbol was a starburst surrounded by seven pillars and his name was Senon. ¡°I¡¯ll join Mao,¡± Zia said. Mao nodded. ¡°The rest of us will hold the left flank then,¡± a teen named Belal said. They all nodded in agreement. ¡°Good luck,¡± Ae said, summoning his mask and stepping forward. His feet did not sink into the liquid, as if it was solid. He stepped through the Gate.
You have entered the [Ancient Battlefield].
The Ancient Battlefield 2 Before his eyes, the ranks of the silver-armored Templars seemed to stretch out forever. There was really no other reason to call them Templars other than their armor. Ae and the others had no clue what their order was really called, or who it was that first suggested they use the name ¡°Templars¡± for them. But it fit them very well. They fought with a zeal that was difficult to explain. In the Citadel, they all seemed lifeless and artificial, but here on the battlefield they took on a vigor that made them indistinguishable from true zealots. Maybe they weren¡¯t artificial after all? In the distance, across the blasted and desolate plains, a shadow approached. It was like black smoke and stretched just as wide as the ranks of the Templars. Within the smoke, blasts of fire were visible and flashes of light illuminated the blackness occasionally. There were several places on the battlefield that the group has named. The Blasted Forest on the right flank was a place littered by branchless, dead trees. The first dozen or so times, they tried to hold that flank until they realized that the left flank was the problem. Events didn¡¯t transpire the same way they always do. Things affected the progression of the battle, but there seemed to be a certainty in the entire affair¡ªan event that happens no matter what they do. They called this event ¡°The Convergence¡±. In this battle, the left flank always falls at which point the center is overwhelmed and they are all killed. Most of them die before this point, but those that make it that far report that a Tyrant is responsible for their eventual doom. There were many classes of enemies, and this time, the names weren¡¯t their own invention. Asivos described the enemies they would face in this battle: Distortions were the weakest, the foot soldiers. Echoes were the next type, and vastly stronger than Distortions. The creatures they called Shadows were Echoes. Then there were the Subjugators, the officers of the enemy. Finally, the Tyrant was their leader. Ae was powerful enough to fight a Subjugator if he didn¡¯t get killed by the Shadows. The Shadows weren¡¯t that powerful, however their sneak attacks were devastating and the primary cause of Ae¡¯s demise. Fara stood at his side. She wore her mask upon which was the symbol of an empty circle struck through by a horizontal line. They didn¡¯t know what the symbols meant or represented, however they understood that they can leave the Citadel only with their masks on. When they joined Asivos, they had given up their mortal existence. If they were to speak their mortal names, or show their mortal face outside the Citadel, they would die a gruesome death¡ªpunished by the Heavens. They all wondered what their existence was then, if they were not mortal anymore nor part of the world. ¡°Ae, I will go ahead and move towards Desolation Hill. You stay behind, like last time, and help the Templars hold the line,¡± Fara said. Ae nodded. Fara departed towards Desolation Hill. Desolation Hill was a place that the enemy liked to capture so that they can deploy their archers against the left flank. It was not a critical part of the Templars¡¯ defence strategy, but the Subjugator that attacks the hill was worth a lot of essence and internal energy to those who slayed him. In fact, Ae¡¯s group did not have a strategy to win this battle. Their strategy was to acquire as much resources as they could, so that they can move closer to the power that would allow them to win the battle. None of them actually believed that defeating the Tyrant would end this battle, because a second army follows the first one. They¡¯ve never seen the second army up close, but they did see it in the distance. However, the Subjugator was worth quite a lot of internal energy, therefore, the Tyrant must be worth even more. This was their objective: Slay the Tyrant. Finally, the armies of silver and the armies of black clashed in close quarters. The enemy rained arrows upon both their own troops and the Templars; they did not care about friendly fire.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Ae used his [Enhanced Movement] skill from the [Enlightened Sword] perk to cross the distance and join the battle. The [Enhanced Movement] skill allowed him to propel himself forward with great agility and power, seemingly defying gravity at times. It didn¡¯t feel any different than jumping forward as a mortal, yet the difference in outcome was like day and night. He glided over the ground, hovering in the air like a leaf carried on the wind. He was as swift as quicksilver and made it to the Templar ranks in the span of a dozen breaths. He drew the sword from his side and with that motion, he struck down the first Distortion he came upon, the blade neatly cleaving it into two parts. The enemy looked humanoid in most cases. Most of them were men and women in black, leather armor, but this was not the case for all of them. There were creatures made out of black stone, and others that were empty suits of diabolical armor. They seemed disorganized compared to the Templars, simply charging the lines with no sense of self preservation. Most of them ran into the silver pikes the Templars held, and then continued to defy death as they impaled themselves further and further in an attempt to swipe at the Templars with the wicked axes and curved swords. There was no end to them. Ae sprung forward once more, into the enemy lines and with a single swipe of his sword, he felled two Distortions. They were not worth much, and gave no Essence, but they were easy to defeat. A hundred of them were worth about as much as one Echo. Then Ae caught a glimpse of one. It wasn¡¯t a Shadow, but the towering hulk of a humanoid creature could be nothing else. It had a certain aura to it that Ae instantly recognized to belong to an Echo. They were enlightened creatures, capable of magic; inferior to Ae¡¯s at least.
Heavenly Lightning
Ae extended his hand forward, and focused the Lightning Energy in his body towards his fingertips. With a deafening hum, a bolt of lightning shot from his fingers and speared through a Distortion before striking the Echo. The lightning bolt deflected off the Echo and carved into the ground next to it, before it curved upwards and shot into the sky, more like a beam than an actual bolt of lightning. Ae jumped forward, pressing the attack. He raised his sword high as he glided over the rocky terrain, and then slashed downwards when he reached his attack range. The Echo defended with its sword, parrying the blade. But that was all that it was capable of; the moment their swords collided, the Echo lost its sword and only means of attack and protection. Ae struck once more, and this time, black blood sprayed into the air, and the Echo fell to the ground.Silver smoke burstfrom its lifeless form andflowed into Ae¡¯s mask. Ae took a deep breath, ignoring the notifications of his gains from that battle. His personal goal was the Subjugator, not a relatively worthless Echo. He turned, wiping the blood from his sword off his black cloak, and looked into the distance. Desolation Hill was starting to get overrun by the enemy. The Templars held the crown of the hill, but the enemy pushed forward, despite the heavy resistance. Ae could not see Fara from this distance either. Ae looked towards the lines of Templars and concluded that they would hold the line. His presence here was no longer required. I must go to Desolation Hill. Just as he was finishing the thought, he heard a crack behind him, and a presence like a guillotine over his neck sent shivers down his spine. He turned on the spot, bringing his sword down like an executioner¡¯s axe and, to no surprise, found a man concealed by shadowy smoke. Sparks flew off their swords as the Shadow parried the attack and took a step back from the force of the impact. Ae launched himself forward, striking the Shadow with his shoulder and sending the Shadow sprawling to the ground.
Heavenly Lightning
Lightning discharged from Ae¡¯s fingers and drilled a hole into the Shadow¡¯s chest, causing it to transform into silver mist a moment afterwards. Damnit, what is Mao doing? He is supposed to keep them off me. A Templar rushed to Ae¡¯s side, and hastily bowed, seemingly unconcerned by the myriad of enemies surrounding the two. ¡°My Lord, our right flank is about to fall. We require immediate assistance.¡± ¡°The right flank? That¡¯s imp¡ª¡° Ae cut himself off. After all, the idea of the Convergence was not a certainty, merely an observation. However, the enemy attacking the right flank instead of the left flank was a new development. Ae looked towards Desolation Hill, and then nodded to the Templar. ¡°I shall head to the Blasted Forest. Find Fara and tell her that she is holding that hill by herself.¡± The Templar saluted with a fist over his heart. ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± The Ancient Battlefield 3 A canyon separated the right flank from the center. It was deemed difficult to attack and easy to defend, but if the enemy gained access to the cliffs above the canyon, they could attack the right flank and the center simultaneously. This is why the Blasted Forest was so important, as it was the only way for the enemy to approach the cliffs. The Blasted Forest itself was enclosed by cliffs and it was relatively easy to defend with a small force. Of course, if it was lost, regaining it was equally as difficult. Ae made haste towards the right flank as the sun became obscured by the canyon walls around him. There were fewer Templars here and most of them were wounded or dying. The canyon itself was a casualty collection point for the Templars. Ae spent some of his last few hours in this place, dying from injuries, on several occasions. Back then, he didn¡¯t have many skills or perks. Upgrading [Enlightened Sword] to Platinum tier changed that however as it unlocked two new skills: [Deadly Finesse] and [Devastating Blows]; the former improved his accuracy and the latter made sure he could easily kill with a single strike. Still, sometimes, Ae came across enemies who were by far his superior in swordsmanship. A week ago, Ae engaged an Echo confidently, only to find that, to his surprise, he could not land a single strike on them. The Echo couldn¡¯t defeat Ae either, but Ae eventually lost the battle when a Shadow snuck up on him. A majority of Ae¡¯s deaths were due to Shadows, but not all of them. As he reached the end of the Canyon, Ae realized that they completely lost the Blasted Forest. Only a dozen or so Templars were still alive, surrounded by hundreds of Distortions. I am too late. How did this happen? Ae sighed as he slowed down. There was no need to rush anymore. This battle would be lost. Ae was powerful, but there was no way he could hold the Blasted Forest on his own¡ªor recapture it, for that matter. He could kill every Distortion standing before him, without a doubt, but those behind him would cut him to pieces once he was surrounded. Ae looked around himself, trying to find a place where he could avoid being surrounded. Staying in the Canyon was an option¡ªthe entrance to the canyon itself was narrow, barely enough to fit a few people in, standing side by side. But there is no guarantee that the enemy wants to go into the canyon. For all Ae knew, they were only interested in the winding path that leads to the cliffs above. Ae glanced at the path. It was narrow and just barely met the criteria for Ae¡¯s needs. The path hugged the cliffs on one side, but it¡¯s winding nature exposed Ae¡¯s flanks in a dangerous manner. It was steep as well, meaning that his opponents would be at various elevations and Ae didn¡¯t have the experience of fighting opponents in such a situation. [Sword of the Emperor] came to his mind, at that moment. He suddenly understood the importance of that Principle and the absolute certainty of its short description. It was perfectly self-explanatory, Ae realized. An Emperor¡¯s sword would not fall in this situation¡ªit would conquer the enemy, no matter the odds. A Sword Emperor would not look for places that would improve his chances of victory, he would meet the enemy head on and crush them. I guess that¡¯s why it is called a Principle. A true conqueror never hesitates and never falters before a superior force. His sword parts the veil of uncertainty and sneers at the concept of tactical advantage.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
You have learned the perk [Lonely Blade] through your Enlightenment. The perk [Paradox Blade] has become unavailable.
Ae blinked. Enlightenment? Learning perks without spending internal energy? On one hand, Ae was excited to have learned a new perk for free, but on the other hand, it wasn¡¯t entirely free¡ªit came at the cost of a Principle. Show information on perk [Lonely Blade]
The blade standing on the summit of achievement has no peers and is shrouded in loneliness.
Show skills related to perk [Lonely Blade]
Name Effect Skill Level
Death In All Directions The ability to effortlessly defend and attack in all directions. Bronze (0%)
Serenity Suppress the psychological impacts of battle. Bronze (0%)
Death-Seeking Sword The ability to retaliate against unseen or surprising attacks. Bronze (0%)
Sword of Absolute Retaliation The ability to retaliate against all forms of attack, including spoken or written words. Bronze (0%)
Ae nearly burst out laughing at the specifics of the final skill, but then he realized that beyond its ability to end an argument quickly, it implied that there exists a possibility that he could be harmed through something as trivial as words. He had yet to meet an enemy that could do that. Although, he realized that he may be simply overthinking it. However, he was glad that the perk that replaced [Paradox Blade] seemed to solve his immediate problems. [Death in All Directions] and [Death-Seeking Sword] were exceptionally useful to him. Perhaps the [Lonely Blade] was a Principle and not a simple perk? Show Principles.
Category Name Mastery
Annihilation Lonely Blade Bronze (0%)
That explains why it is so powerful. Zia was right. Principles are a game changer. With a renewed confidence, Ae looked towards the enemy only a few hundred meters away from him. He was not yet a Conqueror with a peerless sword, but he did not fear this enemy. Even alone, he felt like he had a companion at his side¡ªthe sword in his very hands. It felt alive somehow, as if it suddenly possessed a will of its own. It thirsted to meet the enemy, to truly complete the journey of becoming a blade shrouded in loneliness due to an absence of worthy enemies. The will in the blade sought to slaughter all under the heavens; truly, a principle of Annihilation. Suddenly, the sword came alive, and Ae was not sure who it was that reacted first¡ªthe sword or he himself. He turned and the sword slashed through the empty air. Bones cracked and then black mist exploded into the air, the corpse of a Shadow fell to the ground. Ae attacked again, an empty spot next to his first victim, and although the Shadow was invisible to his eyes, his sword knew there was someone there. A moment later, two streams of brilliant, silver mist flowed into Ae¡¯s mask, as the blood of the two Shadows evaporated off his gleaming sword. I can hold the right flank. The Ancient Battlefield 4 Ae slowly walked forwards. He was in no rush, the enemy would not go anywhere. In fact, the enemy neither advanced nor fell back. Surely, the enemy commander must have expected that the Shadows would deal with Ae, but after seeing him turn around and slash at the empty air, doubt must have creeped in. Now, the enemy was momentarily paralyzed. In Ae¡¯s eyes, the enemy only had one option to deal with Ae, if subterfuge failed; surround him and kill him. However, they were unaware of Ae¡¯s new abilities. As long as there wasn¡¯t a Subjugator or a Tyrant among them, they would fall like chaff before the wind. With a scoff, Ae launched himself forward, crossing the entire distance in half a dozen leaps. The enemy didn¡¯t have the same careless attitude as they did when they were charging the center¡ªknowingly impaling themselves on pikes and spears to try to strike the enemy. These ones were far better organized. Ae realized that they must be led by a Tyrant or Subjugator, if they were acting like this. Ae¡¯s sword arced through the air and heads rolled at his feet, their expressions captured in a frozen moment of surprise. The enemy was fearless and unrelenting, but Distortions who survived an encounter with a being like Ae are few if any even exist. The Distortions tried to surround Ae as he cleaved his way through their ranks, but he was clearing enemies in front of him, and pressing onwards, fast enough so that the enemy couldn¡¯t even keep up with him. Not a single Distortions could parry or block Ae¡¯s sword, and with each sweeping strike, two or three of them fell. When they did manage to finally attempt to strike at his exposed back, his sword¡ªas if seeking its own death¡ªturned on them and cut the offenders down mercilessly. Ae was unstoppable.
Physical energy: 7822/18000
Ae realized that using his best skills was tiring him out quickly. He was doing well, but at this rate, he wouldn¡¯t last much longer. He still had plenty of Spiritual Energy left, and if he ignored charging his attacks with Lightning Energy, he could use it to refresh his Physical Energy. Before acquiring the perk [Lightning Mastery], Ae had to transform his Spiritual Energy into Lightning Energy. But now, he was able to passively generate a small, but sufficient, amount through the [Plane Conduit] skill. All things considered, even without the [Lonely Blade] Principle, today he was a far superior combatant than he was yesterday. An empty suit of armor stopped Ae¡¯s blow with a large, heavy shield and struck at Ae. Ae parried the blow and took a step back. The suit of armor was an Echo, and quite a powerful one at that. The moment Ae stopped backtracking, Distortions swarmed at his back. Ae turned on his heel in a way that was far too smooth to be natural, and his blade angrily carved through the Distortions trying to swarm him. Their lifeless eyes still held on to that glimmer of surprise and disappointment, even as their light faded. Ae turned once more, raining down three heavy blows on the Armor¡¯s shield, each in quick succession. The shield cracked and fragments of metal blasted out of the impact point. The Armor was being pushed back, finding no opportunities to strike back at Ae who, even despite focusing on the Armor, still managed to attack the Distortions surrounding the Echo. The enemy started to hesitate. They were not afraid of being cut down by Ae¡¯s sword, the cause of their hesitation was the lack of apparent weak points in Ae¡¯s flawless defence. No matter how they tried to approach, what seemed to be an easy target would only lead to their own death.
Physical energy: 4269/18000
Ae narrowed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t avoid using special attacks here, if he was going to defeat the Armor. He channeled his Lightning Energy into his sword.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Radiant Sword
His sword crackled with electricity and then hummed with a deep, rumbling tone. The silvery surface glowed with a brilliant light, as if looking at a bolt of lightning itself. The sword came down and carved through the Armor¡¯s shield, and then continued onwards, slicing through its arm and halfway into its chest. Ae kicked the body away, freeing the sword and continued onwards. In his wake was nothing but death, blood, and a thick silver stream of mist continuously flowing into Ae¡¯s mask. Unlike the Shadows, these enemies did not evaporate on death. Ae and the others had long suspected that there were a few special types of enemies on the Ancient Battlefield. The suits of armor and the creatures made of stone, Ae and his comrades classified as Golems, while the Shadows they classified as Elementals. The Shadows were, after all, entirely made out of shadows it would seem. After a few seconds of slashing through his enemies, Ae realized that there were far fewer enemies around him. They were still there, but instead of attacking, they seemed to be retreating. Ae stopped advancing and glanced around himself. The enemy wasn¡¯t retreating, they were making room. Ae instinctively knew that it was time for their commander to show up and face Ae. There was no point to taking the right flank, if all of them died¡ªtherefore it made sense for the most powerful among them to face Ae. Please don¡¯t be a Tyrant. Soon enough, the Distortions before him parted, making room for an individual with deep red eyes and unnaturally black hair. Although it was not visible, Ae could sense an aura about him that was like a black mist shrouding all the Heavens¡ªit was unfathomable. What¡­ what is this thing? Is this a Tyrant? Ae swallowed, a chill ran down his spine as he considered the person before him. He looked to be about Ae¡¯s age. In his right hand, the humanoid held a thin, straight sword. ¡°Greetings, Celestial,¡± he spoke in a human voice. ¡°G-greetings?¡± Ae said with a doubtful tone. ¡°My name is Azat. What is yours?¡± he asked, glancing at Ae¡¯s sword with a curious expression. ¡°Ae.¡± Azat smiled. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Celestial Ae.¡± Azat paused, considering Ae. ¡°You seem surprised. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I just¡­ never met an enemy who talked to me before. Are you a Tyrant?¡± Azat laughed and shook his head. ¡°I was, once. I am a Fractal now.¡± ¡°A Fractal?¡± Azat nodded, ¡°Mmm. I regained my free will, therefore I am a Fractal.¡± Ae must¡¯ve looked even more confused than he did before, because Azat chuckled once more. ¡°They are mindless,¡± Azat said, gesturing to the Distortions. ¡°Motivated is perhaps the better word. You could call it a single-minded purpose: to kill Celestials.¡± Ae slowly nodded. ¡°But you are not like them?¡± Azat shook his head. ¡°Like I said, I can ignore the compulsion of the Root.¡± Ae lowered his sword, slightly. ¡°Oh no, I am still going to kill you. But only because I enjoy it.¡± Ae raised his sword again, ¡°We can¡¯t be allies?¡± Azat smiled, ¡°Of course not. I saw you fighting, before, on the left flank, and that hill. You always seemed so¡­ imperious. I just couldn¡¯t help it this time. I want to kill you myself.¡± Ae felt the dawning of fear gnaw at his mind, but the [Serenity] skill quickly blocked it out. Ae released a deep breath. ¡°Very well. Let us begin then.¡± Ae dashed forward, sword falling towards Azat¡¯s neck. Before Azat could even have a chance to defend, Ae¡¯s blade found purchase and embedded itself deep into Azat¡¯s flesh. That was easy. Ae was about to retrieve the sword, when he realized that Azat is still smiling. Why is he smiling? Despite Ae¡¯s intentions, his sword began to backtrack through the wound he inflicted, the same way it came in. The flesh under the blade mended, and Ae realized he was looking at the slash in reverse¡ªas if time itself was being reversed. The [Serenity] skill was working overtime to suppress Ae¡¯s surprise and helplessness. No matter how hard he tried to push the blade back in, it refused to obey. Ae struck at Azat again, but this time, Azat parried Ae¡¯s sword. Ae¡¯s sword rumbled, shimmered, and then exploded into a thousand pieces. Only the hilt of the sword, and part of the guard, still remained in Ae¡¯s hand. Before Ae could even realize how hopelessly outmatched he was, Azat¡¯s sword buried deep into his neck.
Your head has been destroyed. You have died.
Day of Victory 1 Ae woke with a start, clutching at his neck. In that moment, the sensation of the passage of time washed over him and he realized that he was no longer on the Ancient Battlefield. The comprehension came with an emptiness and disappointment. I was so close¡­ There was a sense of deeper failure in that thought. If Ae had to choose to finish a race last, or second, at that moment, he thought that finishing second hurt more. Coming so close to a goal, only to fall short was more painful than decapitation. He should know. He scanned the crowd around him and saw that everyone had the same expression as he did. Disappointment was written all over their faces. Disappointment and pain. When Ae was younger, just a boy not even 10 years old, his grandfather had died. He remembered that his mother consoled him by telling him that death was not that painful. Now, both of them knew this was wrong. Ae¡¯s mother died on the very first night that the Flames of the Reckoning appeared, and Ae himself was very familiar with the process of death. For an outsider, death might seem painless and peaceful, but only those who experienced it would know the feeling: The frantic battle for air when the lungs are paralyzed, or the slow death of a brain not receiving blood or oxygen. Death was not peaceful. It was violent. Oddly enough, Ae could not remember the face of his mother, or his grandfather. He could not remember the faces of his childhood friends, either. He could only vaguely remember the street he lived on, but not the house. How could someone forget something like that, in just a few months? Ae looked towards the blue ball of energy¡ªthe form of their Liege¡ªin the center of the room. Was it Asivos¡¯ doing? Did his Liege erase Ae¡¯s memories? Ae then remembered some of the first words his Liege spoke; by accepting the contract his mortal Fate would be no more, his entire existence would be erased. Could that be the reason why his memories were fading so quickly? He didn¡¯t want to forget. Those memories were all he had left. His family was gone. His world was gone. His very name was gone. Everything was taken from him. Don¡¯t take my memories too¡­ He uttered the wish in his heart, secretly and wordlessly, as if doing so might protect it. When he opened his eyes again, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection on the silvery metal surrounding the raised dais where his Liege rested. His eyes¡­ he never noticed that they changed color before. It¡¯s not that they changed color¡ªhe always had blue eyes¡ªbut the addition of the red ring around the blue worried him. Was this new? ¡°What is happening to my eyes¡­?¡± Ae whispered as he leaned towards his reflection. A blonde girl to his right, close by, leaned over and glanced. ¡°They seem normal to me,¡± she said. Ae looked at her. ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t see this red circle?¡± ¡°I see it,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°You have it too. It¡¯s green though,¡± Ae said, pointing out the green circle around her amber eyes. ¡°Did you always have eyes like that, Ixia?¡± Ixia licked her lips. ¡°Yes,¡± she said after a long moment of hesitation. ¡°You are lying,¡± Ae said. ¡°You don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t remember.¡± Ixia narrowed her eyes at Ae. ¡°Don¡¯t call me a liar, Ae. I remember.¡± "We are losing our memories..." Ae whispered. "You don''t remember anything." ¡°Yes, I do!¡± she shouted, standing up. ¡°I remember everything. I was an Empress! I had a future ahead of me and it was stolen by this¡­ this¡­ thing!¡± she pointed an accusing finger at Asivos. Silence fell on the room. It made the atmosphere tense and hopeless, because the silence was like an unwanted passenger.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. After a long moment, Fara whispered, ¡°What was your mother¡¯s name?¡± Ixia glared at Fara and she was about to answer, but then only ended up staring slack-jawed. The words wouldn¡¯t come out. She could not remember. Frustration burned in Ixia¡¯s eyes. Frustration and hatred. ¡°Are we all losing our memories?¡± Mao asked. Another silence blanketed the room. This one was absolute. Not a breath or heartbeat could be heard, and the silence¡¯s meaning was complex and different for everyone gathered. There was one thing in common between all eight of them: They all felt helpless. Ae butted heads with his companions before and has gotten used to letting arguments go, but this one stung quite a bit. What was the point of dishonesty or pride now? Their lives were disappearing¡ªhad someone brought it up sooner they might¡¯ve been able to do something about it. Everyone felt the same way and this was the source of their despair. It was just wishful thinking. Even if they knew, there was nothing they could do. Doesn¡¯t this mean that they were truly dead already? They died every day, but it was not true death. They always came back. But if their identity and memories disappeared, isn¡¯t that the same as true death? Ae wanted to banish the thought, but it had taken root deep inside his heart already. It entrenched itself in a fortress of hopelessness. ¡°How are we doing on Essence?¡± Senon asked. No one answered his question. He was completely ignored. Ae thought it was a valiant effort to change the subject. It was uncanny how everyone seemed to be facing the same demons. All eight of them were so alike, yet so different. Perhaps it was because they spent so much time together, struggling with the same issues. They all had the same goal, and the same results. Perhaps it was natural. ¡°I am going to my room,¡± Ixia said. She was already on her feet and heading towards the exit. ¡°Me too,¡± Zia said and followed Ixia out. Soon enough, the entire room cleared out and only Ae and Fara were left. When everyone left, Fara stood up and walked over to Ae, sitting down next to him. ¡°Where were you? Did you get killed early?¡± she asked. Ae shook his head. ¡°I was on the right flank.¡± ¡°The right flank? Why? We were supposed to go to Desolation Hill.¡± ¡°We were losing badly there. I went to help out,¡± Ae said. ¡°Huh? The enemy never attacks the right flank with enough force to take it from us that early. How did we lose it?¡± ¡°A Fractal was there.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Ae shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand myself. He said he was a Tyrant once, and then became a Fractal.¡± ¡°He? It spoke? Wait, there¡¯s something stronger than a Tyrant?!¡± There was confusion and panic in Fara¡¯s eyes. Ae shook his head and sighed. ¡°Fractals are different from the normal opponents. I don¡¯t think Fractals are a different class. I think they are a different type. And yes, it spoke. Very well. It had thoughts. Wants. Desires. It was like us, Fara. Human.¡± Fara hissed in a sharp breath and shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t be allies?¡± ¡°Ask my decapitated body.¡± ¡°Is it strong?¡± Ae made a grimace, and then nodded. ¡°I cannot begin to fathom the difference in our strengths, Fara. He was as vast as the heavens and deep as the oceans. I couldn¡¯t look away. I was paralyzed, but my body still moved. He crushed me before I even met him or talked to him.¡± Fara nodded. ¡°That bad, huh?¡± ¡°Did you kill the Subjugator?¡± Fara shook her head. ¡°It never came. The newbie and I waited on Desolation Hill for hours, but it never came to attack us. Maybe something changed about the Ancient Battlefield. You had a Fractal, our Subjugator never came, and Mao says they encountered a new enemy.¡± ¡°I forgot about the newbie. What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Asae Sena. She goes by Sena.¡± ¡°Huh, what does it mean?¡± Fara pursed her lips. ¡°I think it means Day of Beginning or something.¡± Ae pondered that meaning for a moment. ¡°The Ae in my name means first. I can see how Asae could mean beginning. But I think Day is wrong. You didn¡¯t ask her what her name meant?¡± Fara shook her head. ¡°What does your name mean, anyway?¡± ¡°Ae Xion. First Fire, or First Light.¡± Fara nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I think Sena means Future. As in, the Approaching Day of the Beginning.¡± Fara pursed her lips, ¡°I see. Beginning of what though?¡± Ae shrugged. ¡°Victory, I hope.¡± Fara laughed. ¡°I guess you could interpret her name as Day of Victory.¡± Ae chuckled and then sighed. ¡°I hope she makes a difference, Fara,¡± he said as he stood up. Fara lost some of the spark in her eyes, no doubt also realizing how unlikely it is for the meaning of a name to change the outcome of their destiny. ¡°Try not to fight alone, Ae. We should help each other, no matter how hopeless things may seem.¡± Ae turned to glance at Fara and then nodded to her. ¡°Take care, Fara.¡± He left the room with those words. Our day of victory¡­ when will it come? As he headed through the hallways, Ae thought about their new names. They weren¡¯t really names, just nicknames borrowed from the strange language that defined their new existence. All of their names meant something, and they only possessed a vague understanding of the meaning. Still, the language held a power that was not obvious or advantageous in any way. Its power was in the form of a bond¡ªa certainty. For as long as it existed, they were bound to this unending life and it systematically eradicated all traces of their previous one¡ªor so Ae suspected. Our day of victory¡­ may not exist. Day of Victory 2 When Ae opened his eyes, there was no dull, silver ceiling above him. At first, it didn¡¯t bother him, even though he was fully aware of the knowledge that he went to sleep in his room last night. The fact that long branches, adorned with a myriad of leaves, swayed overhead did not bother him. But the more that he stared at the shafts of sunlight filtering through the leaves, the more the realization of his unknown whereabouts gnawed at the back of his mind. Where am I? With his enhanced hearing, he could hear a cart or a wagon in the distance. It¡¯s round wooden wheels bounced off tiny pebbles strewn across the padded dirt roads. In the Citadel, there were no wagons or carts, even more than that, all the roads were paved. Ae ran a hand through his hair and then slowly sat up. He was in a light forest, and in the distance, to his right, he saw houses that littered the outskirts of a city. He recognized this place. At first, it was faint due to his damaged memory but that could not stop the process of remembering it: This was his home. He jumped to his feet and stared at the houses intently. He refused to blink, as if fearing that doing so might break the illusion and that they would vanish. But they remained, even after he was forced to blink by the dryness invading his eyes. ¡°Big bro, are you coming?¡± Ae heard a voice speak behind him. He turned and saw a kid he could not recognize. The kid was talking to Ae, offering a hand to him. Confused at first, Ae just stared at the kid. Did I have a brother? There was a nostalgic feeling in that thought. ¡°Big bro?¡± the kid asked, lowering his hand slightly. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I am fine, Emil,¡± Ae said, taking his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± The kid laughed merrily as they walked towards the houses. They walked in silence. There was no sound, even when they stepped on branches and snapped them. There was a surreal feeling in the air. Is this a dream? Am I dead? After several steps, Ae realized he was not alone. Mirroring his movements perfectly was a girl to his left. She had black hair and blue eyes, just like him, and she was the most beautiful girl Ae had ever seen. Her perfect, ideal form was not something mortals should be allowed to behold. ¡°That girl is so pretty, big bro,¡± Emil said, looking at the girl just a few paces away from them. When Ae stopped walking, so did she. They weren¡¯t merely synchronized, she perfectly mirrored Ae¡¯s movements. As if to test the theory, Ae twisted his hand just a bit, and to his alarm found that the girl did the same thing. It was so surreal, that Ae was about to chuckle. But the girl¡¯s actions stopped him; she turned to face him. ¡°You need to let go, Ae,¡± she said. ¡°Wha¡ª¡° A loud crack coming from the sky above cut Ae off, and he looked up. The sky was broken. A large crack ran through the sky, as if it was made out of glass. As the pieces of the sky fell down, it revealed an infinite blackness behind it. ¡°Big bro, why did she call you Ae?¡± Emil asked, seemingly unaware of the sky. Ae looked down at the kid, and then back to the girl, but she was gone. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± the words Ae wanted to speak evaded his consciousness. He knew what he wanted to say¡ªthe feeling and meaning of the words were there¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t summon the sounds. ¡°Ataraxia is a strange one, isn¡¯t she?¡± Emil said. ¡°What did you say?¡± Ae asked, looking at his kid brother, who was now taller than before. He seemed older as well. ¡°Is that the end, brother?¡± Emil asked, looking towards the sky. Ae followed his gaze. Stars were falling from the sky, red-tailed like violence itself. A black tail burned around the corona of world-ending entities falling to the earth. ¡°You need to let go, brother,¡± Emil said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ae asked with a smile. A great confusion blanketed Ae¡¯s rational mind, suppressing his reason and logic. ¡°You need to let go of my hand, brother,¡± Emil said once more, lifting his hand which was tightly held on to by Ae. ¡°I¡­¡± Ae said, trailing off. He let go of Emil¡¯s hand. Once more, he looked towards the falling stars and some of the confusion lifted. Or perhaps it was the anger which was driving it away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this happen again. I don¡¯t want to lose everything again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, brother,¡± Emil said with a calm tone. ¡°We are not going to disappear.¡± ¡°You are!¡± Ae shouted. ¡°We are all going to disappear!¡± Emil flashed an apologetic smile. ¡°Do you want to see mother?¡± Ae blinked, ¡°She is¡­ alive?¡± ¡°Of course, she is.¡± Emil laughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Ae¡¯s head was spinning. The world was ending, yet Emil seemed so calm about it, as if he didn¡¯t even realize it. But he must¡¯ve. He mentioned the end of the world. Ae wanted to ask Emil what was wrong with him, but the impending doom changed his priorities. ¡°Let¡¯s go see mother,¡± Ae said. Emil nodded. Casually, they walked towards the houses. Ae wanted to hurry, but Emil could neither be persuaded nor forced to walk faster. Each step felt like an eternity, but eventually, they reached a small house.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Mother, we are home,¡± Emil called out. ¡°Oh, come in, come in. Your friend is here too,¡± Ae heard a voice call out from the living room. Dead memories resurrected in Ae¡¯s mind as he set foot into his home. The air had a nostalgic scent to it. Ae followed Emil into the living room. The moment Ae rounded the corner, he stopped in his tracks. The beautiful girl from before was there, sitting on a chair at the dinner table. ¡°Oh, have you come to see my brother off, ¡­¡± When Emil spoke her name, static entered Ae¡¯s ears¡ªit was so deafening, it nearly knocked him off his feet. The girl didn¡¯t react to the words, but in Ae¡¯s mind, a feeling of deja vu invaded his heart. He saw this scene before. She looked past Emil and focused on Ae¡¯s eyes. ¡°You need to let go, Ae. Accept things as they are. What is done is done.¡± Emil paused in his steps. His brilliant smile faded, and the glimmer of happiness in his eyes was gone. It was like he was a different person all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere, Ataraxia,¡± Emil said with a tone that was vastly different from Emil¡¯s. The girl looked towards Emil now, as if finally acknowledging his existence. She didn¡¯t say anything to him, instead she focused on Ae once more. ¡°Please, Ae. You have to let go.¡± The ground suddenly shook and a roaring shockwave passed through the house. One of the falling stars must have landed nearby. Emil turned to look at Ae, seemingly unaffected by the sound or the violent shaking. He steadied Ae by placing a hand on Ae¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Brother, do you remember who sat in that seat?¡± Emil asked, gesturing to the girl. Ae tilted his head slightly, looking from Emil to the girl. Slowly, Ae shook his head. ¡°Come on, now. Surely you must remember with whom you spent your final days,¡± Emil insisted. ¡°When Asivos¡¯ star fell on the capital, you took her hand and ran out, leaving mother and I to die here.¡± A spark of pain shot through Ae¡¯s being. It was the same feeling he had as when he spoke his mortal name and was punished by the Heavens. Could it be that just remembering it could cause that terrible death? ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll protect you from the Root. Go on, remember her face. What was her name, brother?¡± Emil¡¯s smile grew wider. The girl at the table just shook her head and sighed. Then his mother appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. She was just the way Ae remembered her. Her black hair was long and silky. Ae never even realized before, but his mother had brown eyes. Mentally, he wanted to kick himself for not knowing such a trivial fact. Just seeing her again overwhelmed his mind to the point that tears wanted to rush out, held back by nothing more than a man¡¯s pride. ¡°Ah, you were out playing in the woods again? You are so dirty, ¡­¡± When his mother spoke his name, Ae could only hear static. It was so overpowering that it forced Ae to his knees, helplessly covering his ears. ¡°What is the matter? Are you hurt?¡± his mother asked. The pain in his chest grew by several magnitudes. It felt as if his entire being was on fire. It was more painful than any death he had suffered. Emil placed a hand on Ae¡¯s shoulder again and said, ¡°Brother, stand up.¡± The moment Emil¡¯s hand touched Ae¡¯s shoulder, some of the pain was gone. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you from the Root, didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Ae looked up at him. Emil¡¯s words suddenly connected in Ae¡¯s mind. The part of the pain that was gone was the pain he endures when the Heavens are punishing him, for remembering his mortal self. The pain in his heart that remained now was the tragedy of losing his family. Then, the girl patted Ae on the head, and even the heartbreak disappeared. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Ae. You have to come with me.¡± Before Ae could respond, suddenly, the entire house was blown away by a blastwave. Everything was gone in an instant. In the final moment, he saw his mother¡¯s skin and flesh turn to dust, and then even her bones became ash. There was nothing left of her, or the house. Beneath his feet was no longer the solid hardwood, but blasted, semi-molten dirt. Ae fell to his knees. He was alone once more, in the wake of the blastwave that seemingly just passed through him, without causing him any harm. Of course, Ae realized, it made sense. This was a memory, it wasn¡¯t real. He was just a ghost in this world. A ghost observing the dead. Then his heartbroke, for a second time. The one thing he did not want to remember, he ended up reliving. For what? The question burned in his mind like glowing embers. It pierced into his thoughts like needles, ever-present and painful. He looked up at the sky where the stars were still falling. Within each one of those was an entity like the one that stole everything from him.
Your Origin is changing.
¡°Ae,¡± the ephemeral words blew away the scenery before his eyes. It all disappeared. There was only an infinite blackness. ¡°Ae,¡± the words flowed into his ears once more, and he opened his eyes. His head was in the beautiful girl¡¯s lap, and she looked down on Ae with her icy blue eyes. Over her head was a blue, clear sky, with no falling stars. Leaves rustled in the distance. She shook her head, ¡°Ae, you cannot go with Retribution,¡± she said, stroking his hair. ¡°If you go there, one day you will become something terrible and there will be no way out.¡± Ae stared at her for a long moment, and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t really care. I want to punish them.¡± She smiled, ¡°Punish the Planars? That will never happen if you go with Retribution.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± She pressed her lips together. There was an apologetic glimmer in her eyes, like the sparkling essence of unshed tears. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°Ae, Retribution just wants vengeance like you do. If you go with him, he will lead you down the path of Corruption. Today, you might think that what you saw earlier is the worst thing that ever happened to you, but if you go with Retribution, far worse things will happen to you.¡± Ae shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°You say that, but I know it is not true. You are in pain and full of anger. Let me help you, Ae. I can bring peace to your heart,¡± she said. ¡°I can give you the serenity to face this, and to overcome it.¡± Ae thought about her words for a moment and then frowned. She was so pretty. Her smile had a nature of goodness within it, and her eyes sparkled with the promise of hope. Hope, however, was painful. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Ae said, climbing to his feet. The girl frowned as Ae looked down on her. ¡°Begone, Ataraxia. I don¡¯t need you.¡± The girl nodded, her frown deepening. Ae looked towards the sky and took a deep breath. He placed a hand over his heart that seemed to thrash about inside his chest, filled with anger and fury. As he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the whisper of an oath to vengeance resonating within his being.
Your Origin is now: [Oath to Rebellion]. You have gained a new Aspect: [Retribution].
A great weight lifted off his mind as he accepted Retribution and his Origin changed. He never realized it before, but its absence was obvious; the oppressive feeling of the Root suppressing his mortal memories was gone. In that instant, Ae understood that he was meant to defy the Heavens¡ªthe Root that is. Not just the Root, but the Planars as well, and destiny itself. Remember her name, Ae. A foreign thought entered his mind. It was Emil¡¯s voice¡ªor rather, it was Retribution¡¯s voice, who took the form of Emil. Whose nam¡ª Ae realized it then. He remembered. The one person he could not afford to lose. He abandoned his family for her¡ªran to the end of the world with her, trying to save her. Back then, he thought that as long as he still had her, not all was lost. Then the realization hit him. Retribution looked like Emil, because his family, his brother especially, signified his desire for vengeance. Ae turned on his heel, suddenly all too aware of Ataraxia¡¯s disguise. Or rather, the lack of disguise. In his memory, the girl he saved from the destruction of his hometown looked like¡­ Ataraxia! Ae was almost startled when he found Ataraxia standing right behind him. Tears glimmered in the corners of her eyes. All the words Ae wanted to say evaporated from his mind. Ataraxia pressed her hand against Ae¡¯s cheek and smiled. ¡°Ae,¡± she whispered. ¡°Now, more than before, you need to learn to let go.¡± She took a step back. ¡°I hope that you will stay away from the Corruption, while still finding success in your quest for vengeance. Farewell.¡± Her form shimmered away, the final words hanging in the air as a blackness approached once more, devouring the scenery. What¡­ have I done?
Your Origin has become Corrupted. Your Origin is now: [Midnight Sun of the End].
Day of Victory 3 ¡°Ae!¡± the words filtered into his consciousness. Ae blinked and looked to his side. Fara stood there, her face concealed by her mask. ¡°What are you doing, spacing out like an idiot? Come on, we have to get to Desolation Hill,¡± she said, an overtone of frustration in her voice. ¡°Right,¡± Ae said. ¡°Right,¡± he repeated, this time more convincingly. His head was buzzing. Was any of that real? The question was burning a hole in his mind. Even though he vacantly stared at the enemy lines that were quickly approaching, he didn¡¯t see anything. The entire trip to Desolation Hill passed as vaguely and quickly, as if it was just a half-remembered dream. ¡°Ae, watch out!¡± Fara shouted. Ae looked up and could only barely make out the outline of a Shadow approaching him. The Shadow swung its sword at the defenseless Ae. Defensively, Ae raised his hand, and for some inexplicable reason he decided to press his finger against the sword. The impact resounded out, like metal striking metal, yet it was the Shadow¡¯s sword striking Ae¡¯s finger. Then the sword shattered into a thousand pieces. Fara was on the Shadow almost instantly, driving her sword through the Elemental¡¯s chest. It burst into black smoke, the forces binding the shadows into being completely destroyed, and the silver mist of achievement flowed into Fara¡¯s mask. ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± Fara asked, looking at Ae who still held an outstretched finger. ¡°I blocked it¡­ with my finger¡­¡± Ae said, as confused as Fara. ¡°No, you idiot. What are you doing?! Open your eyes! Draw your sword! Fight!¡± she shouted at Ae. ¡°Right,¡± Ae murmured, drawing his sword. He shook his head, as if that would shake off the trance-like confusion he was in, but it only marginally helped. Then he remembered how he might verify whether what he saw was a dream or not. Show Aspects.
Annihilation Retribution
It was real¡­ Panic overwhelmed his mind, followed by sorrow and then finally it transformed into fury. He lost everything twice. Why? Why is this my destiny? As the words floated up to the surface of his turbulent consciousness, Ae spotted the Subjugator on the top of Desolation Hill. The creature that has been their secondary target for so long was no different in appearance from an ordinary human. It didn¡¯t even wear armor. But once someone saw that red metal sword, one could spot the Subjugator from a mile away. The confidence in every one of the Subjugator¡¯s motion, as it cut down several Templars with each swing, was tragic and beautiful at the same time. The Subjugator was a master swordsman and the ease with which it dispatched opponents was enough to make one stop and stare in awe¡ªif only they were on the same side. Recognizing the Subjugator, an overwhelming desire to crush it filled Ae¡¯s veins, and he willed himself to move forward. The ground vanished below his feet. The world before Ae¡¯s eyes shrunk into a tiny point. It felt as if Ae was in a tunnel, surrounded by nothingness on all sides. There was no gravity, no air, no heat or cold, there was nothing but the tiny point of light at the other end, which was like a window to his destination.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The tiny point expanded rapidly, as if he was approaching it at neck-breaking speeds, and when it fully came into view, it turns out that Ae was, in fact, moving at such speeds. Black smoke shrouded his arrival and he slammed into the side of the Subjugator at speeds that would ordinarily crush his bones. But not this time, for some reason. The Subjugator was sent sprawling to the ground, bouncing off the ground like a stone sent skipping over the surface of a lake. Finally, the Subjugator came to rest, twenty meters away from where Ae collided with it. While Ae was wondering why he wasn¡¯t dead, the Subjugator stood up and looked at Ae with an expression that was a mixture of fear and surprise. It appeared mostly unharmed, but the psychological damage could not be measured with a simple glance. Ae banished the doubt from his mind and charged the Subjugator once more. He held his sword high, pommel almost pressed against his shoulder; It was an aggressive stance. The Subjugator saw Ae¡¯s charge and prepared a defensive, counter-attacking stance by pointing the sword away from Ae, and concealing most of it behind the Subjugator¡¯s body. The two collided together, as did their swords causing a hollow sound to ring out. Almost instantly, they attacked each other once more, but the result was the same. Ae¡¯s face was concealed, but it was just as focused as the Subjugator¡¯s was. Ae never saw the Subjugator make that expression before, even when it was outnumbered. Usually, they would fight the Subjugator two versus one, or three versus one. Not all of them would survive that fight, but the Subjugator always looked calm and calculated. Now, there was a frenzy in its demeanor and a turbulent panic in its eyes. It almost looked human, the way it reacted to Ae. Their swords struck against each other once more, deflecting each other away with enough force to pull the wielder along with them. Both Ae and the Subjugator stumbled, regained their balance, and then threw themselves against each other once more. The Subjugator¡¯s red sword burst into fire, and then coalesced into itself, taking on a solid form; It was not a red metal sword anymore, but a sword made of solid fire. Ae saw that technique before and it had cut right through his sword, last time. It was too late now to abort his attack, but if he could just change the angle of impact perhaps he could avoid a repeat of last time. The Subjugator¡¯s sword struck Ae¡¯s at a shallow angle, cutting partway through it before chipping away a large chunk of the blade and bouncing off. As the Subjugator¡¯s sword went high, Ae saw the opportunity, and pushed through on the remainder of his swing. Ae¡¯s sword struck the Subjugator¡¯s body and buried into his hip. The Subjugator roared and kicked Ae away. Ae could not hold onto his sword and lost possession of it as he tumbled on the ground. He realized that the blow he struck against the Subjugator was not fatal. Not even close. This is it, huh? The Subjugator screamed with a voice that wasn¡¯t entirely human, proving its true nature, as it ripped Ae¡¯s sword out and then threw it away, far into the distance. Ae chuckled, already knowing how this will end. Yet, even in doing so, he caught himself thinking about how he would exact vengeance on the Subjugator next time. Ae realized then that he was becoming obsessed with retribution. Was that how Aspects work? As the Subjugator closed in, Ae tilted his head. He still had [Celestial Lightning], but was that enough to fight back? Then he realized that he was forgetting something. He had another skill. Ae extended his hand forward and drew a thin silver line with his finger. The silver line hovered in the air, entirely solid. Then it expanded as lightning crackled through it, slowly taking the shape of a sword.
Lightning Formation
Ae remembered that the skill creates an object with an Origin related to Lightning. He didn¡¯t really know what most of that meant, but he just needed a sword. Ae snatched the half-formed blade out of thin air and the moment he touched it, he felt an overwhelming power flow through his being.
Your connection to the Plane of Lightning has become stronger.
The half-formed silver sword suddenly crackled with electricity so violently that its entire surface was concealed by arcs of electricity. The sword warped in Ae¡¯s hands until it looked like he was holding a solid lightning bolt. The Subjugator paused in its advance and its eyes focused on Ae¡¯s sword. Then it took a step back. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t,¡± Ae said, extending a finger towards the Subjugator.
Celestial Lightning
The bolt that erupted from Ae¡¯s fingertip was nothing like what it usually was. It was not a bolt either, it was a solid beam of lightning energy that carved through the Subjugator instantaneously and blew away a large chunk of the hill that it was standing on. The beam continued onwards, carving a massive ravine through the ranks of the enemy soldiers. The entire area was bathed in a brilliant light, until the beam completely disappeared.
You have gained Essence. You have gained internal energy.
Ae slowly lowered his finger and then looked at his new sword. ¡°Oh, is that how it works?¡± he asked no one in particular. With a satisfied grin, he looked towards the enemy ranks. ¡°Where is that Tyrant?¡± he asked with a jovial tone. Day of Victory 4 Eventually, Fara caught up to Ae at the top of the hill and the beginning of the ravine his [Celestial Lightning] had carved into the environment. The ravine stretched out for an entire mile, and it was twenty meters deep in some places. Fara didn¡¯t say anything about Ae¡¯s sword, his impossibly quick movement or the beam or lightning energy. Instead, she just followed Ae¡¯s gaze, completely aware of his objective. ¡°Is that the Tyrant?¡± Fara asked, pointing into the distance. Ae narrowed his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t make out anything specific that far away. I thought my eyesight was good, but Fara¡¯s is something else. In reply to her question, Ae shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t tell at this distance.¡± ¡°I sense a vast aura coming from it. It¡¯s like a veil of darkness,¡± Fara said, her tone sounding more hollow due to her mask. ¡°We could ask Mao. He fought the Tyrant before,¡± Ae said. Fara shook her head. ¡°A Templar just told me that Mao died.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Fara nodded. ¡°Not just Mao. Zia is also dead. They were ambushed by a new type of enemy. Ixia and Sena are also dying. They¡¯re at the Canyon.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s just us guys?¡± Fara turned her head to Ae. Though her face was covered, body language was more than enough to convey that Fara was glaring at Ae. ¡°And you, I mean. Of course. Us guys, and you.¡± Fara sniffed angrily, and then looked back towards the approaching army in the distance. ¡°Have you heard any news of Senon and Belal?¡± Ae asked. Fara shook her head. Ae nodded. ¡°We should assume they are dead or dying.¡± Fara shrugged, ¡°What do you want to do? We can try fighting the Tyrant alone, or we could go to the left flank and check out this new type of enemy that killed Mao and Zia. Maybe they¡¯re worth something.¡± Ae shook his head. ¡°We are going to kill the Tyrant.¡± ¡°Just the two of us?¡± ¡°Who else is there?¡± Fara was motionless for a moment, but then nodded. ¡°We may as well give it a try.¡± Ae glanced to Fara and sighed. ¡°Fara, have you had a dream where you went back to the day when the stars fell from the sky?¡± Fara looked at Ae and tilted her head slightly. ¡°No, not really. I don¡¯t even remember that day. Did you have such a dream?¡± Ae didn¡¯t want to answer that question. Even now, despite having proof that it happened, he still felt unsure. Rather, perhaps he didn¡¯t want it to be true. Like an outsider looking through a window, he saw himself change when the regret of betraying Ataraxia sunk into his heart. A desire for violence and destruction burned in his being, and, perhaps too late, Ae realized that it did not come from merely making the wrong choice. He changed. Perhaps this was the Corruption that Ataraxia spoke of. Origins may be related to the way a person acts or perceives the world. It may be even more than that, but surely, it would affect the personality. Before his Origin changed again, when Ae realized that he was going to lose Ataraxia again¡ªor at least the person Ataraxia looked like again¡ªhe felt overwhelming sorrow. But now, there was only hatred and an unquenchable desire for vengeance. Annihilation and Retribution. The thought surprised Ae, even though it was his. It held the promise of a deeper understanding into the nature of Origins. Perhaps it is not the Origin that changed Ae¡¯s personality. Perhaps his Origin changed because he moved closer to the Aspect of Annihilation and Retribution. That made more sense. ¡°Fara, what is your Aspect?¡± Ae asked. ¡°Hmm?¡± Fara was surprised by the sudden question. ¡°Ruin,¡± she answered. ¡°Ruin, huh?¡± Ae repeated and then paused. ¡°I think I understood something from my dream.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°The closer we move to our Aspects, the more powerful we become.¡± ¡°Sounds easier than dying all the time for some meager internal energy.¡± Ae shook his head. ¡°The closer you move to your Aspects, the more you change as a person. I think that is what Asivos meant by saying that Principles can affect your Origin.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°We are talking about Aspects though.¡± ¡°I think they are similar. Principles, most likely, reinforce the Aspect.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Fara said. ¡°When I returned from the dream, I realized I became obsessed with annihilation and retribution. My Origin changed as well.¡± Fara slowly nodded. ¡°Are you going to be all right?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Ae emitted. Fara glanced at him, as if reading his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t go and do something stupid, Ae.¡± Ae chuckled and nodded. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°Fara, I think I am going to kill Asivos when we return.¡± Fara was motionless for a moment, as if she didn¡¯t hear Ae¡¯s words, but then nodded. ¡°I will help you.¡± Ae nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°You should be able to see it now, I think. Do you think that is a Tyrant?¡± Fara asked, pointing out an individual in the distance. Ae squinted and could barely make out someone that looked like a teenager. He was flanked by men much older than him, and in that regard, he was just like Ae and Fara. He was young, confident and brimming with concealed power. The aura Fara mentioned, Ae could sense it too. It was vast and all-encompassing, more a sensation than something someone could see. It was nothing like Azat¡¯s, which was a magnitude or two above the Tyrant¡¯s. ¡°That is a Tyrant, without a doubt,¡± Ae said. It was the only logical conclusion. A Subjugator was like a drop of water in an endless ocean compared to the entity at the head of the second army that was approaching the hill. By now, the Templars must¡¯ve lost control of both flanks, and only the hill remained. Any time now, the enemies on the left flank would surround the center, and the second army will smash it to pieces. That was the Convergence¡ªthe event that always happens. Ae and Fara gave up on trying to hold the left flank. If they had any illusions of holding it, they wouldn¡¯t have stood on the hill and chatted about things completely irrelevant to the coming battle. They knew that holding the left flank was impossible, as if it was preordained by destiny itself. Most of the Templars were dead or dying, just a few dozen meters ahead of them, at the foot of the hill. Perhaps in the past, Ae and Fara may have felt the need to go and help them, but both of them were convinced that the Templars weren¡¯t people. In that sense, they were like the enemy, except they were friendly and didn¡¯t try to kill them. They looked human, but they didn¡¯t act human. Any conversation topic unrelated to the battle was ignored, and they only obeyed orders. All of them knew Ae and Fara, by name and Origin, even though they never met before. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Fara asked. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it busy, you strike from the blindspot.¡± ¡°Are you sure it has one? Surely, it is very powerful and has some sort of defense against that type of thing.¡± Ae pondered and then shrugged, ¡°Just pick a moment to strike.¡± Fara nodded. ¡°Works for me. Let¡¯s go then,¡± she said and began heading in the direction of the Tyrant. Ae followed behind her. As they approached the ranks of the Distortions and the Templars, the two sides stopped fighting each other and made way for the two masked warriors. Ae understood why the Templars made way¡ªthat¡¯s how they acted¡ªbut the enemy was a different story. There was no sense of respect in the gesture, the desire for battle still burned in the unnatural eyes of the Distortions. As they passed through, the second army stopped advancing, except for the Tyrant who calmly strode forward. This close, Ae could get a better look at it. It had brown hair and green eyes. It walked with an elegant confidence that did not conceal its martial prowess. Ae began to think that he may have underestimated the power of a Tyrant if just looking at him made Ae feel wary of the entity. The [Serenity] skill kicked in, suppressing Ae¡¯s fear and awe. Fara, at Ae¡¯s side, did not have such a skill it seemed. Her movements became sluggish, her eyes focused on the ground. ¡°Celestials,¡± the Tyrant spoke. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. I haven¡¯t met you two before.¡± Neither Ae nor Fara replied to the greeting. The Tyrant chuckled. ¡°The Midnight Sun of the End. That is an interesting name,¡± it spoke and then switched its focus from Ae to Fara. ¡°And here we have The Litany of Destruction.¡± Ae looked to Fara. She never shared her Origin with Ae before. ¡°I am most pleased to make your acquaintance, albeit short our meeting shall be,¡± the Tyrant said. ¡°But I shall introduce myself, as pointless as it may be. I am the Dragon of the Last Harvest.¡± ¡°Do you have an actual name, Dragon? Something to put on your tombstone,¡± Ae said. The Tyrant chuckled and shook his head. ¡°So confident, only because you acquired another Aspect. You need to learn your place.¡± The Tyrant pointed a finger at Ae, and then flicked it downwards. An overwhelming pressure fell on Ae¡¯s shoulders and forced him down to his knees. Only then did Ae realize just how badly he underestimated the Tyrant. Fara looked at Ae and then back to the Tyrant, as if seeking an opening to attack. ¡°You can attack me, girl, if you want. Look, I am wide open,¡± the Tyrant said, spreading his arms out, as if ready to embrace Fara¡¯s sword. Fara didn¡¯t move and after a long moment, the Tyrant disappointedly lowered his arms. ¡°Lost the will to fight, huh? Can¡¯t blame you.¡± Fara looked at Ae. He could feel her glare on his back, urging him to stand up, but it was impossible. It felt like he was supporting the weight of an entire mountain. ¡°Where is the Throne of Dusk? He is usually the one who comes to greet me,¡± the Tyrant asked and looked behind the two. ¡°I am not really interested in fighting the weaklings. Bring Throne out, I want to fight him.¡± Ae gnashed his teeth together and ever so slightly managed to resist the pressure battering him down. ¡°Mao is dead¡­¡± Ae squeezed the words through his teeth. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a shame. So it¡¯s you two, then,¡± the Tyrant spoke with even greater disappointment than before. Finally, Ae managed to resist the pressure against him, and stand up. He realized, perhaps a bit too late, that acquiring a new Aspect must mean he acquired new skills. One of them was a movement skill and the other one must be related to his ability to break swords with his finger, or resist immense pressure. ¡°So, you acquired Retribution, huh? That¡¯s quite a rare Aspect. I am impressed,¡± the Tyrant spoke. ¡°What is your other Aspect? I can¡¯t quite make it out.¡± Ae glared at the Tyrant, and even though his movements were sluggish from the pressure, he still raised his sword, ready to do battle. ¡°Mm, doesn¡¯t matter, I guess.¡± The Tyrant drew his sword. It was a simple, iron-looking sword with a slight curve to it. The Tyrant glanced to Fara and pondered her for a moment. Then the Tyrant smiled, ¡°I guess we won¡¯t need her.¡± The Tyrant pointed a finger at Fara and this time, a ball of blue energy hovered on the tip of the Tyrant¡¯s finger. A sense of danger flooded Ae¡¯s mind like a warning bell, and he was about to tell Fara to run when a brilliant beam of blue light blinded Ae. The beam erupted from the Tyrant¡¯s finger, and though it was slim at the origin point, it widened outwards into a cone that completely consumed Fara. It was similar to Ae¡¯s beam from earlier, but several orders of magnitude more powerful. When the light finally faded and Ae could see again, Fara was gone. There was nothing left of her. It wasn¡¯t just Fara. As Ae followed the trail of destruction that the beam carved into the Ancient Battlefield, Ae realized that Desolation Hill itself was gone. There was only a scar in the devastated ground where the hill used to be. The ground itself was molten in some places, and turned to glass in others.
You are stunned.
Day of Victory 5 I am going to die. Ae¡¯s head was completely blank. Just seeing the beam and it¡¯s tremendous power completely destroyed his desire to fight the Tyrant. It was impossible.
[Serenity] You have recovered from your [Stunned] status effect.
Even with the skill working overtime to reduce the psychological impact of Fara¡¯s death, it still could not completely erase the terror in Ae¡¯s heart. I am not even sure if I¡¯ll revive if this guy kills me¡­ The worries and fears kept growing by the moment. Several seconds had already passed, but the Tyrant did not make another move. He stood still, as if frozen in time, finger still extended. Ae understood why; the damned thing was enjoying itself. It savored every moment of fear and despair that it inflicted. The Tyrant wanted this image to be burned into Ae¡¯s mind for eternity. No matter how many times Ae would come back from the dead, this memory would never fade; that was the Tyrant¡¯s goal.
[Serenity] [Void Heart Method]
Ae took a deep breath and straightened up. ¡°Ahh, what a shame,¡± he said. There was a coldness in his heart. An inexorable emptiness gnawed at the emotions causing the confusion in his mind. He felt centered and focused. He felt different. ¡°What is?¡± the Tyrant asked. Ae ignored the question. He relaxed his grip on the sword in his hand, causing it to stop trembling. What was there to be afraid of? Death? Ae knew death. He knew death better than any other creature in this world¡ªhe knew death all too well. What could this Tyrant do that hasn¡¯t been done to Ae before? Would Ae be vaporized like Fara? He almost laughed out loud. Such a death looked terrifying, but it was without a doubt quick and painless. There was nothing to fear, but fear itself. With [Serenity], perhaps even that was impossible. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ae understood that this strange calmness came from this [Void Heart Method] skill. He really should¡¯ve checked out what the [Retribution] Aspect bestowed upon him, but it was too late now. Even if he knew, there was no time to familiarize himself with the skills. Every moment mattered. Even if Ae and the Tyrant stood still, the battle had already begun¡ªwithin their minds. The Tyrant looked confident enough to not seem interested, but Ae knew that it was looking for openings. Perhaps it was afraid of Ae¡¯s unknown Aspect. Ae didn¡¯t think Annihilation was that special, but this was an advantage he could make use of. Ae stepped forwards confidently. There was no enhanced movement in that motion, nor any skill that would increase Ae¡¯s intimidation, yet the Tyrant took a step back and its carefree, borderline bored, expression faltered. The Tyrant appeared more cautious than before, as if the illusion of absolute superiority had been completely destroyed. Still, Ae could not underestimate the entity before him. No matter how the Tyrant appeared now, it was still far more powerful than Ae. Ae lunged forward and in his wake he left the sound of a thunderclap peeling over the battlefield. The ground shuddered. To an outside observer, the scene would appear like a lightning bolt colliding with a faint silhouette; they would bounce off each other and then return for another collision. All that would happen, several times, in the span of a breath. They moved too fast for those with ordinary vision to follow, yet for the two locked in deadly combat it was completely different. For Ae, he could follow the Tyrant¡¯s movements with perfect clarity, yet he could not will his own body to exploit the weaknesses he saw in the Tyrant¡¯s defense. The Tyrant didn¡¯t stay on the defensive either. After the first few clashes, the Tyrant perhaps realized there was nothing to fear from the Aspect it could not identify in Ae, and took a more offensive approach. Unlike Ae, the Tyrant had no issue with controlling its body to such a fine and precise degree. The Tyrant feinted an overhead slash and when Ae prepared to parry it, the Tyrant¡¯s blade went for Ae¡¯s neck instead. This is it, huh? Ae was disappointed that he had enough time to form such a thought, with such calmness, yet could not will his own body to move at the same speed as his mind. Perhaps it was a lesson for next time. Ae closed his eyes.
[Death-Seeking Sword]
A loud explosion overwhelmed Ae¡¯s hearing and he opened his eyes. Pieces of the Tyrant¡¯s sword fell off the hilt as the Tyrant glared at Ae. Ae looked at his own sword, which still appeared like a solid fragment of lightning. What just happened? I thought [Death-Seeking Sword] was only useful against Shadows!The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You possess the Lonely Blade?¡± the Tyrant asked in a tone that suggested he didn¡¯t want an answer to that question. ¡°Of course you would. You are the Midnight Sun of the End.¡± The Tyrant took several steps back, eyes wide open and scanning his surroundings as if he was looking for something¡ªno, as if he was scared of something. What is the power of the [Lonely Blade] that he fears so much? Ae wanted to know. There was no way Ae possessed it yet¡ªhe had only just learned the Principle¡ªbut the Tyrant did not know that. But was that really the case? Did Ae really not possess such a skill? Did he not use [Death in All Directions] and [Serenity] on a regular basis? There was no way he didn¡¯t possess even more impressive skills than before! Show skills related to [Lonely Blade]
Name Effect Skill Level
Death In All Directions The ability to effortlessly defend and attack in all directions. Gold (34%)
Serenity Suppress the psychological impacts of battle. Platinum (11%)
Death-Seeking Sword The ability to retaliate against unseen or surprising attacks. Silver (89%)
Sword of Absolute Retaliation The ability to retaliate against all forms of attack, including spoken or written words. Bronze (0%)
Ever-Changing Sword The ability to wield the sword like the changing currents of Fate itself. Bronze (0%)
Void Heart Method An empty heart leads to a sharp mind. Bronze (11%)
[Ever-Changing Sword]... could that be it? Ae focused on the Tyrant. The description of the [Ever-Changing Sword] was quite unclear, but in a way, Ae understood it. It was the ability to strike from impossible angles. No, it was more than that. It was the ability to change fate itself. So that is what the Tyrant is afraid of. Ae¡¯s lightning bolt-like sword burst into blue fire; it had a radiant glow that gradually became dimmer as the flames blackened until they appeared more like windows into the abyss than merely black flames.
Your [Stardust Blade] has become upgraded due to the [Empowered Blades] skill. You have learned the [Vessel of Annihilation] attack due to the [Inspired Swordsmanship] skill.
Ae was pleased that his [Enlightened Sword] perk was finally paying off for once. The Tyrant narrowed its eyes when it saw Ae¡¯s sword catch fire and turn into the [Vessel of Annihilation]. The Tyrant slashed a finger through the air, much the same way Ae did when he called forth the lightning sword. A thin black line appeared in the air before the Tyrant which seemed to coalesce into a black sword. The moment the Tyrant snatched the sword out of the air, it launched itself at Ae, holding nothing back. The Tyrant¡¯s black sword seemed to shimmer, phasing in and out of reality in a pulsing manner. Ae could feel a malevolent will within that sword. An Awakened Origin¡­ Too late, Ae realized that he had no way to stop that sword. How could he? The sword itself was a paradox. Somehow Ae knew what it was. It was a weapon that didn¡¯t exist in this world, yet there it was before his eyes; Nothingness itself given form.
[Death-Seeking Sword]
Ae¡¯s sword came to life as if it too possessed a will; one that was dedicated to its own destruction. Ae¡¯s sword smashed into the black sword as if truly seeking death. Ae expected that his sword would just phase through the Tyrant¡¯s impossible blade, but to his surprise, it didn¡¯t. They collided with such power that the following shockwave leveled the ground beneath the two warriors. ¡°Annihilation,¡± the Tyrant whispered, finally realizing the other Aspect Ae possessed. Surprise was written all over its face, and then it smiled. It was a smile, but it was full of regret. Ae dashed forward, he didn¡¯t have the time to try and unravel the mystery of the Tyrant¡¯s smile. He raised his sword, straightforwardly attacking with an overhead slash. The Tyrant raised its own impossible sword to attempt to block, when Ae¡¯s sword disappeared.
[Ever-Changing Sword]
The Tyrant turned and tried to parry something behind it, but then black blood spilled out of its stomach. Ae¡¯s sword reappeared in his hand, and then he continued the previous slash, sending the fragment of Oblivion carving through the Tyrant¡¯s chest.
Critical hit! Your [Vessel of Annihilation] has obliterated the Tyrant¡¯s chest. You have gained Essence. You have gained internal energy.
The Tyrant¡¯s impossible sword faded out of existence for the last time as the black blood began to evaporate. A constant stream of silvery mist flowed into Ae¡¯s mask. The Tyrant looked up to Ae with a deep frown, black blood flowing from the corners of its mouth. ¡°You¡­ are¡­ a monster¡­¡± it whispered. ¡°Rinne¡­ will never¡­ give you back¡­ your name¡­ now¡­¡± Ae narrowed his eyes. ¡°What? Who is Rinne?¡± ¡°You stole¡­ the Rev¡ª¡° the Tyrant groaned, as black and blue flames began to pour from the mortal wounds on its stomach and chest. ¡±¡­ you will¡­ never¡­¡± The Tyrant fell on its side, its form bursting into flames that vanished as quickly as they appeared, yet in that instant they consumed the Tyrant entirely and left not even ashes behind. A deep sound rang through the [Ancient Battlefield]. It was a gong.
You are victorious. Sending you back to the Sanctuary Chamber.
The sky darkened. It was not as if the sun was going down, but rather, it felt as if the world was unraveling. Everything was disappearing, devoured by an encroaching emptiness. "Victory, huh?" Ae sighed. He did not feel victorious. The Tyrant''s final words bothered Ae, and in a way, he understood them. His name was gone. His name was not merely just a sequence of letters; it was far more important than that. It was his destiny, his memories, his personality... it was everything. Being called a monster, by a monster, did not please Ae either. He understood the meaning of those words; Ae accepted [Retribution] and his Origin became Corrupted. "This was a defeat..." Ae whispered, as everything disappeared. Worlds Beyond the Gate 1 It felt as if only a moment had passed when the darkness overtook the world and then faded. Ae found himself in the Sanctuary Chamber. He had been here for months now and this is the first time he heard the name of the room where they would all revive. It made sense; this was the place closest to a throne room in this massive Citadel. In fact, the only place where one could find their Liege was in this room. Ae glanced around the chamber and judging by the expressions on the faces of his fellow comrades, it appeared as if they were waiting for Ae quite a while. Next, Ae looked towards his Liege. The blue ball of energy calmly crackled with golden lightning, but as always, it didn¡¯t give off any indication that it was aware of the eight people in the room. ¡°You¡¯re back, Ae?¡± Mao asked, glancing to him with a disappointed expression. The others also looked in Ae¡¯s direction when they were made aware of his consciousness. Ae couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether he suddenly appeared or just woke up. It never happened before that they did not all wake up at the same time. Ae glanced to Fara who was avoiding looking back at him. She must¡¯ve told them that I fought the Tyrant. Ae looked over the group once more and sighed. I suppose they weren¡¯t notified of my so-called victory. Mao is disappointed because he didn¡¯t make it to the Tyrant. Fara no doubt feels like she failed me, or perhaps she feels inadequate after getting obliterated by the Tyrant. Ae¡¯s thoughts were unusually calm and calculated. A tiny part of his conscious was aware of this fact. Did the [Serenity] and [Heart Void Method] skill work outside of battle or was this a symptom of his Corruption? ¡°I am sorry I couldn¡¯t help you¡­¡± Fara said in a broken voice that mirrored her spirit. Of course. We always thought we were getting somewhere¡ªthat we were becoming more powerful. Yet to be face something that powerful¡­ it must be a great shock. ¡°Did you at least manage to get any Essence?¡± Mao asked. These guys are no good. At least Mao has some fighting spirit left, but the others¡­ Ae glanced over them again and shook his head. Mao took that as a reply to his own question and sighed. Do I give up on them? Is there anything I can even do? Maybe if I corrupt their Origins¡­This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. An arc of golden electricity suddenly shot up from the center of the room and carved a gash into the ceiling. It was so surprising that even Ae reacted to it. His heartbeat calmed down almost instantly and with freezing calmness he looked to the source. Their Liege, Asivos, slowly rose to hover in the middle of the room and his words boomed out. ¡°So you have finally completed your training. It was abysmal. None of you have learned how to properly use your powers, even after all this time.¡± The words weren¡¯t spoken by normal means. It was a series of sounds, spoken in the ancient language that makes up the meaning of their names. No human creature could ever speak those words; even names like ¡°Ae¡± and ¡°Fara¡± were just approximations. Yet those same words caused the eight gathered vassals of Asivos to look up with an expression of confusion. ¡°Training?¡± Senon asked. ¡°Completed?¡± Belal asked. Mao and Fara were the only ones who stared at Ae instead, their eyes betraying their thoughts. Did Ae defeat the Tyrant or was the purpose of the ¡°training¡± to get three people to the Tyrant? ¡°Soon enough, you will all become proper vassals of mine. I have great hopes for you, my Chosen,¡± Asivos spoke, ignoring the questions. ¡°We can stop with the Ancient Battlefield and move you forward to scouting the Prime before you go conquering the Planes.¡± ¡°What about our memories?¡± someone asked. Ae did not instantly recognize the voice, but he found the speaker soon enough. Sena was standing, both hands clenched into fists; they trembled with anger. ¡°Your memories?¡± Asivos asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have any memories. They are not yours anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Several of Asivos¡¯s ¡°Chosen¡± asked at the same time. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand your position in this,¡± Asivos said. ¡°You died. You don¡¯t exist anymore. I did not steal your memories or your name. I gave you new ones, is that not true?¡± Ae narrowed his eyes and inhaled sharply. Everyone else was taking a more passive reaction¡ªno, it was a defeatist reaction. ¡°I saved you,¡± Asivos continued. ¡°All I want in return is your submission. Obey me. I am not a selfish master¡ªI will not take what is yours. I will shelter you. I will help you grow. When you are powerful enou¡ª¡° ¡°Silence!¡± Ae interrupted Asivos, the fiery hatred in his heart finally overcoming the ice in his mind. ¡°Shelter us? Help us grow?¡± There was a sensation in the air¡ªin the atmosphere itself¡ªthat Asivos¡¯ attention was entirely on Ae. ¡°You did this to us. You did not save us. Your flames killed me and cost me everything I had. This life you ¡°gave¡± me is not a life. We are your slaves. I will kill you, Asivos. I will take back everything you took from me. I will no¡ª¡°
Your left arm has been destroyed.
There was a shimmer in the air and then Ae¡¯s left arm went flying across the room, streaming bright red blood in its wake. ¡°You have already become the Midnight Sun of the End, huh?¡± Asivos asked, the cadence in his sounds somehow still coming across as calm and tranquil. ¡°What a disappointment. No wonder you do not understand; your mind is so weak.¡± Ae fell to his knees, holding the stump of where his left arm used to be. He did not feel pain, but the shock was more than enough. He could not figure out what it was that severed his arm in the first place. It was not an attack. It was nothing Asivos did that severed his arm. But it had to be. How could he have been so foolish to declare that he would kill Asivos? Compared to the Tyrant Ae fought¡­ Asivos was unfathomable! Worlds Beyond The Gate 2 ¡°I do not hate that you have become corrupted. It leads to power and works better for me this way, but it is too soon. You are useless to me,¡± Asivos said. Silence filled the Sanctuary Chamber. The atmosphere became heavier and heavier with each moment. Everyone had the same thing on their mind: Those who are not useful to Asivos will die. ¡°This one time I shall help you, Ae. If you fail me again, I will not be so understanding. If you think you are my slave now, I dare you to disappoint me again. You should be grateful that you still possess your free will,¡± Asivos said, sending relief through the tense atmosphere. ¡°I don¡¯t want your help!¡± Ae growled to the surprise of the others. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Ae! Take it!¡± Mao insisted. ¡°No! Don¡¯t you see? He is our enemy!¡± Ae said. This time no one had any objections to raise with those words. ¡°I am your enemy, huh? In a way you are right, Midnight Sun,¡± Asivos said. ¡°But by the same criteria, you are also your own enemy.¡± Ae looked up at Asivos, tightly grasping at his stump as blood began forming a pool right next to him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it yet? After the Midnight Sun, you will truly become the end of existence. For all the reasons you hate me, you should hate yourself. Everything you touch, you will erase. You corrupt and unravel even the memories you hold so dear. I know everything about your Vision when you embraced Retribution over Ataraxia. That was your own doing. Retribution did not manipulate you. You, yourself, are Retribution.¡± Ae narrowed his eyes, but then almost instantly realized that his Liege¡¯s words were not entirely false. No, they were not false at all! He himself rejected Ataraxia. ¡°I do want the same thing that you want, but not like this. Therefore, once more, I offer you my help. Will you take it, Ae Xion?¡± Ae blinked. Asivos was unusually talkative today; it must mean that his Liege is somewhat invested in this. ¡°Is it¡­ possible¡­ for us to regain our names?¡± Ae asked. The heavy pressure of Asivos¡¯ attention lightened briefly and then returned. ¡°Yes. If you do it properly.¡± ¡°How?¡± Ae asked. ¡°When you prove yourself useful once more, I may tell you.¡± ¡°How?¡± Ae insisted. Ae could tell that Asivos was becoming frustrated. Fear overwhelmed Ae¡¯s mind and he closed his eyes. He was convinced that he was going to lose another limb. Or maybe his head. ¡°You were never supposed to become what you are now,¡± Asivos said after a long pause. ¡°Instead of the Midnight Sun of the End, you were supposed to become something else. The reason for this turning out this way is because you stole from the Reverse.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°The Reverse?¡± Ae asked. ¡°Yes. Your Reverse is a destroyer, it is the End of All Things. You are the First Fire; You are no longer mortal, you are a concept now. An aspect of the universe. If the essence of your Origin is the first light that came before everything, then your opposite is the final darkness as well¡ªentropy itself.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with my name?¡± Ae asked. Everyone else was quiet, but they closely followed the conversation. Obviously, they too wanted to know those answers and to learn more about the nature of their existence. ¡°There is a way, related to my explanation on what you are, for you to regain your name.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± Ae growled. ¡°No. Do as I ask and when you are ready, I will tell you. That is the only way.¡± Asivos suddenly appeared more hostile than before. He would not accept no as an answer. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Ae asked, giving in. ¡°Reject the Reverse.¡± ¡°You say that as if it is the easiest thing to do in the world,¡± Ae replied with a hiss. ¡°I don¡¯t understand most of the things you are saying. I don¡¯t understand Aspects, Principles, Origins, or even when I stole from the Reverse. I did nothing out of the ordinary.¡± Some of the Chosen nodded at those words because they understood his position; they were facing the same problems and it didn¡¯t seem like Asivos would be this forgiving again. ¡°It is because you understand things so literally,¡± Asivos said. ¡°Your desire for vengeance and your pursuit of your lost name is what takes you in this direction. Instead of stealing from the Root, you steal from the Reverse.¡± ¡°Again, I do not understand,¡± Ae growled. ¡°I suppose the simplest way to put it is like this: The closer you are to the Principles of your Aspects the more powerful you become. In your case, the more you desire to destroy and the more you seek vengeance, the more your Origin will grow.¡± ¡°I¡­ sort of understand. But how did I steal from the Reverse?¡± Ae asked. ¡°Because you desired what belongs to it. Your Vision¡­ it was tainted by the Reverse. The Retribution you embraced did not come from the Root, but from the Reverse itself.¡± ¡°Are you saying my memories, and thus my name, belongs to the Reverse?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then how will rejecting it let me recover them!?¡± Ae shouted out. ¡°I told you I will explain this later. If I tell you now, it will be meaningless!¡± Ae could sense Asivos¡¯ anger rising in those words. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I can¡¯t trust you!¡± There was another shimmer in the air and Ae closed his eyes. He finally pushed his luck too far. Moments passed like an eternity each. He didn¡¯t feel anything, but he also didn¡¯t feel anything when his left arm was severed. It was probably the wrong time to think about it, but Ae wondered why his stump stopped bleeding so quickly. It had to be related to whatever skill allowed him to block swords with his bare hands, or resist the Tyrant¡¯s pressure. Ae got pretty far into his train of thought when he realized he was still not dead. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The ground next to him was carved up, as if by an invisible sword, yet he was fine¡ªwell, still only missing an arm. ¡°I suppose it cannot be helped then. If you want to recover your name, you have to slay your Reverse. You cannot allow yourself to be tempted by it. The more you steal from the Root, the less it will possess. When the time is right, you can recover your name.¡± ¡°What happens to me then?¡± Ae asked. ¡°You said we are not mortals anymore, because we lost our name. That we are concepts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the Root breaks. Maybe the world ends,¡± Asivos said but there was no tone of warning in his voice. ¡°What is the Root?¡± ¡°You are crossing the line, Ae. You ask too many questions. Find out for yourself. You all have free access to the Stellar Gate now. Go to the planes, kill the entities there or make contracts. Ask them about the nature of Origins, Aspects and the Root, they would know the best.¡± Ae gritted his teeth but ended up just nodding his head. He could not afford to make Asivos angrier than this. He was getting closer to his goal. This conversation was more than he ever hoped for. ¡°I shall take my leave then,¡± Ae said, standing up. He was slightly off-balance, for obvious reasons. The others in the room took this opportunity to also excuse themselves and quickly depart, lest they risk testing Asivos¡¯ patience further. They were just glad to be done with the Ancient Battlefield.